I’ve lived downtown (Annex)…

I’ve lived downtown (Annex) for almost 20 years now. I both cycle and drive regularly.
These bike lanes have had a very positive impact on my daily commutes, when either driving or cycling. Riding a bike is now safer and easier for people - especially the children in my neighbourhood. And when I drive, the separation between the cyclists and cars on the road makes it so much less challenging to navigate the roads with other commuters.
There are over 3 million people in Toronto, plus visitors. If they all expect to drive cars downtown, there will always be gridlock. Traffic was bad and driving was slow before the bike lanes existed, and it will be worse without them.
The bike lanes offer an alternative to driving, and in my experience, they are a faster way to get around.